Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1887-04-15

thcr's stern command, and he had sent
her from his home and his heart with
words of bitterest condemnation. She
was now poor and suffering, but still
the father said: GAS Alice had made
hrr hrrl so. for all me, shall she lie in
it, aud yet this Alice was the last liv-
ing of seven, ard their mother, with the
saddest Of faces, went silently mourning
all her days.
Easter Sunday, succeeding weeks of
dull, cold, rainy weather, dawned upon
the world with the loyeliest of MORN
ings. Deacon Blake had passed an un-
quiet night in some mysterious way his
dead seemed to be all around him.
There were sweet voices, hushed long
ago, calling, papa. papal" There
were noisy little footsteps gathering
after him, small hands clutching his, so
brown and hard, with warm dimpled
fingers. There were sad, dying scenes
" where he was standing mute and broken
hearted by little beds. watching precious
lives go out; there were burials, where
small caskets hid from his sight all that
was left of his dear ones, and he had
said, at is the Lords will, let him
do what is pleasing in bis sight" Why.
tonight, came this ghOstly procession?
What has so disturbed his dead in their
quiet graves? He was glad to see the
DAYLIGHT, glad TO get up and find a liv-
ing, busy world all about him, AID to
know that it was Easter Sunday.
After breakfast he went on the back
porch and stood in the sunshine, look.
ing upon the resurrection of nature
which he seemed for the time 10 notice
came in unison with that other and far
greater resurrection. The trees were
tnged with golden sunset, the lilacs
were pushing out slender, tapering yell
low buds, the beds of croCuses were COW
cred with half unfolded blossoms, way
of in the green fields little pools OF
wafer glistened in the cheerful sunlight,
and every now and then happy bird
sang an Easter carol. II was "A touch
ed, tender heart that noted all these
things and, strange enough, the refrain
that kept repeating itself over and over
in the excited brain, was NOT of the res
urrcctiou only, but, "And be We kind
one to another, tender hearted. forgiv-
ing one another, even as God, for the
dead aud risen ChrisL's sake, has for
given you"
Was it God speaking to him? Had he
not forgotten that SHINING aud unfOr-
given daughter? Must he, her deeply
injured father, forgive her for the sake
of the dead and risen Christ il he would
be forgiven? That the conflict was
sharp and bitter, no one who knew
Deacon Blake would ever doubt, but it
was short. He looked up into the cloud
less blue sky above him, with a pathetic
pleading for help, to which God never
yet turned a deaf ear, and then he said
in gentle voice to the wife whom he
heard busy in the Kitchen near him
Mother, there's something about the
morning that's got into me. I'm glad
it's Easter Sunday; | want to see them
flowers and the church trimmed up like
a holy day"
"You alters did set by flowers" came
back in a sweet voice, "but never knew
you set by the day before"
"Well, mother, it don't seem to be
only the flowers, it's all along Of that
row Of little graves In the buryin'
ground. I've took to hankering after
the children, lately, and l want the
flowers and the man to tell me over
again the old story how He rose from
the dead, and cause He died we know
we shall have them all again some day"
Now there came only half-smothered
sob in reply. He heard it, and added
with a strange huskiness in his strong
voice:
ave been thinking powerful much
about them lately. Why, Jonas, he'd
ave been man. Let's see, twenty-oDe,
nigh on two"
"Twenty. four last fifteenth of June"
piped mother.
at beats all, mother, how you do re-
member them birthdays; | dare say.
now. you could tell every one on EN-
martha, twenty last eight of August"
"And Bertha Jane? Why. Bertha
Jane, she wouldn't have been much
more than ten now. would she?
Sixteen last twenty-tbird of Decem-
ber."
"You dOn'tl Shes allus been baby
10 me. She was a dear little thing.
She favored you most of all. Her blue
eyes were cut out from yours-the very
pattern, and he looked into the faded
blue eyes of the woman who had come
out OF the house and was standing near
him with the same true love OF years
ago.
Lets see," for there had heen no an
swer. only a soft, hysterical catching Of
a feeble breath. "Who was the next ~
Samuel Mather, twelve last twenty
third OF December"
"ol, little Sammy, what a smart
y
tions the parson even couldn't answer.
Perhaps tina: was the reason the Lord
took him, cause he could; but there's
no accounting for death. And TO think
they re every one Of 'em gone, and you
and /, Marthy. are lef: here alone, just
rs We began life when We first come to
the old farmhouse"
There's Alice" timidly said mother.